Sempiternal
by Meshi-kun
Summary: Fantasy folktale AU. "How long will you fight. You can't change this; this is our fate and theirs too." He murmured, blood seeping down his tear-stained cheeks. "But I can try." She countered, her broken leg staggering behind."Even if I kill you?" He offered, his grin unfaltering."Even if you kill me." She declared. Of fables and facts, theirs was the one that lasted forever.
1. Chapter 1

**A/n:** _Oh well, here is another idea I had! Hope you guys like it! If you do, please do review and favourite! And do tell me if you'd like to see more of this horrible work XD_

* * *

 ** _Ends of Beginnings_**

 _By the divine Arcane Charter_

 _And heaven's prestigious favor_

The bright, magnificent fringes of light that shot through the sky managed to capture the young girl's attention well enough. Making her scramble towards the small band of people clustered around the bright flashes of green light.

 _It was another summoning._

 _I call forth my eternal compeer_

 _My soul_

 _The very culmination of my being_

The spectacular sparkles of magic only rose in fervour, painting the blue sky with glorious shades of bright, almost proud greens. It was beautiful. The summonings always were a sight to behold; a splendid, awe-inspiring presentation one could only forget so little. Bright flashes of magic swirling through the skies, like fireworks, bursting into a flurry of sparkles once they reached the top, raining so softly on the observers. It was truly exquisite; the experience.

The girl, named Hikaru, brushed the few pesky strands of bright cyan hair past her shoulders, quickening her pace to the highest measure her adolescent body allowed. Her heart pounded in her chest, sweaty hands snugly tucked under her warm arms as she swam her way through the puddle of a thick crowd, wanting a peek of the _Summoned_ on her own and not just by a word-of-mouth.

Her village, Nekmura, was not a very populated one, being the fifth district on the holy mainland, it was bound to be quiet and serene. It was not known for anything extremely famous or valuable as opposed to the other districts. It was just a small place, brimming with all the spoils nature had to offer, be it the plethora of exotic flowers nearby or the dulcet songs of the birds that oftened the small village in needs of food or healing.

Healing. Now _that_ was what their village was known for. The best medical sorcerers inhabited Nekmura, adept in healing any ailment that came across them. Their magical prowess had always been a thing of pride for the village, and it was almost natural, they took pride in what they did best. But no matter how skilled they were in wielding the medical craft, they could not bring the dead back to life.

Hikaru, however, had heard that some mages in the capitol were capable of such feats. Animating objects long delved into the pits of death; blessing the dead with life; _Necromancers_ were what they were oft referred as in the big, fat and old books Hikaru had the immense pleasure of reading. But she only brushed the knowledge as a flying rumour the old books had managed to somehow capture.

She had only known of healing already alive people, and she would just not bother herself with the dead; no, do not get her wrong, she did want everyone to live, it was just that neither was she capable of such amazing feats nor was she knowledged enough to proceed with them. She and her village only healed the hurt, it was _all they knew_ ; it was all _they_ _were known_ for.

But now, their village, which had only been previously known for its healing abilities, was gifted with its first _Syoukanshi_ ; its first _Summoner_.

Hikaru's head popped through the midriffs of tall men and women; all too enraptured by the scene before them to notice the smaller girl's forced entry.

And frankly, Hikaru could not blame them. The scene in front left even her speechless.

 _I, KYOUYA TATEGAMI,_

 _GRANDSON OF THE SEVENTH PRIME SYOUKANSHI_

Her heart clenched at the sight.

A boy, of about her own age - _or so she reckoned_ -, stood amidst swirls of green magic. His hair, wild and rough stood up on ends, its dark green melding perfectly with the magic that lit him ablaze. It lapped around him like still water, but at the same time lashed about like a vicious tongue of fire, burning everything that lay in its path.

A deep blush coloured her mocha cheeks. Hikaru swore, she had never seen anything as beautiful before.

The boy, he looked so _stunning_. Elegance dripped off every gesture he performed. His hands interlacing, then separating; coming together only to go far apart in complex signs that seemed to mimic some of the petty healing spells Hikaru performed, only his were a raze of grace. Green magic followed his each gesture, leaving a trail of shimmer behind in its wake; a paragon of sorcery is what he was.

He _shone_ , so _brightly_ , akin to the North Star Hikaru often trailed after.

His glory, however, was marred by his pained screams.

Hikaru had read about how summoning was not an easy task to carry out. It was painful. All the magic required in the summoning was drawn relentlessly from the _Summoner_ , leaving the _Summoner_ a fatigued mess after the whole ordeal was over. Most Summoners had to be bed ridden even, for a couple of hours or a day; for a week's length at times too.

Moreover, not every body could summon a beast. Only those who were blessed by the gods were capable to summon their companion, Hikaru did not know how exactly a Summoner was to be distinguished. All they knew was that a summoning only happened once the Summoner was deemed powerful enough to handle a beast.

The beasts— _Companions_ , or _familiars_ as most people put it, were exactly that; friends to the Summoner. A companion, or _Summon's_ , life was meticulously weaved through the life of its master, or the _Summoner_. Thy were meant to live together and die together. Even all their wounds reflected on each other, meaning a wound to the _Summoner_ would mean a wound to its _Summon_. They were bound together, their souls connected, by preset ties of magic till the end of time.

The soul connection or Life-force sharing had been a holy task since the beginning of time itself; it was a task so pure, so beautiful that only a select few got the pleasure of ever partaking in it. However, Hikaru was well aware of the cons that tagged along the sharing. Often, Summoners falling ill would render their Summon weak as well, ultimately leading to the death of one, and consequently the other.

Many lives were lost; humans and beasts alike were faced with the same fate if they as much as fell sick. Since then, the Arcane Magistrate made it compulsory for a Summoner to befriend a healer for their journeys, should they choose to travel.

Hikaru briefly thought whether he would be interested in befriending her.

Summoners usually went around battling for power and experience, usually taking part in tournaments to gain more of the same. Power, or Arcane Potential, was the perfect gauge of the magical competence of any sorcerer. Hikaru did not know much about the technicalities of Arcane Potential or the magic behind it, but she did know that the most powerful of Summoners ruled over the mainland.

 _SUMMON YOU!_

 _COME FORTH!_

The boy screeched, perhaps the loudest he could. Wisps of green magic swirled around him, getting heavier and denser, much like the thick fog that settled over the mountains in the cold winters.

And before the bystanders knew, the magic amalgamated into the solid form of a majestic figure. Its humongous 11 feet form towering over the cluster of people. Green magic swirled around it, supplying it more aesthetic; the figure, standing on its four limbs mimicked an action similar to a roar, sending a few startled observers high up in the air.

The magic soon cleared up, leaving behind an exhausted Summoner and a breathtakingly beautiful beast.

 _The King of the Kings; a Lion_.

The wind gently caressed its blonde mane, which was streaked with a dull and deep green. Its sharp fangs set into a soft snarl, paws dug deep into the warm earth, perhaps for some sort of support. Green, shimmering magic trailed behind the beast, fading softly into thin air.

Loud claps and jovial chatter soon decorated the atmosphere. The village elders congratulated the moribund Summoner, shaking him by the hand, not even caring if his reply to all their gestures was a weak nod of his limping head. Women scurried off to their houses, intent on spreading the news of the newly summoned beast. Children ran around, trying so hard to approach the magical beast and flinching every time it snared its fangs at their weak attempts.

Hikaru did not know much about Summons in general, but she did know there were specifics tiers to which a beast belonged. Tiers corresponded to the power or capability of a summon. Higher the tire of Summon, higher the Arcane Potential. There were 12 tiers known to the mages at present, a Lion probably belonging to the 9th tier, being a class apart than most summons and hence bearing more Arcane Potential.

Needless to say, the village was more than happy to have received the king as their first Summon.

* * *

Celebration after celebration followed the summoning.

But of course, there were none she was invited to.

Hikaru pulled the sleeves of her grey kimono over her small, petite shoulders. Wrapping the broad black cotton obi around her waist and quickly setting her blue hair in a bun, she waddled out of the dorms and in to the dining area of the Orphanage.

Hikaru had never seen her parents. All she knew was that they left her at the Orphanage door when she was an infant, or at least that was what the Orphanage Elder always told her. She had never bothered to pry more into her parent's history and her origins than the Elder had informed her of; she just could not bring herself to care about those selfish and heartless people that left a little baby at the doorstep of a withering orphanage.

She did not have too many friends either, nobody even shared their beds with her. She never got to know the reason behind their peculiar behaviour towards her and she did not try to either. Creating drama or taking frequent dips in depression was something she did not like as much. She was content with what she had; a magnanimous Orphanage Elder, a shelter to hide her head under and wonderful teachers. And of course, how could she forget the library.

Hikaru had her breakfast in quiet. She always woke up a little earlier than the other girls, only to avoid their voluble company. She had not hated the other girls, but their judging stares and snickers had made it excessively difficult for her to stay cool in their presence.

After finishing her food and thanking the lunch lady, she made her way outside the small wooden building, aiming to take a nice stroll through the Inner Forest.

The Inner Forest was the less frequented part of Nekmura. It was pretty isolated from the other ranges of forests and hence received a few to almost no visitors. And that was exactly why Hikaru liked going there so much.

Hikaru skipped, rather than walked, to her destination, her bare feet dusted with the warm summer soil, garnished with little blades of grass as well. It was all so beautiful, all the colourful flowers and their wonderful fragrances lined the vicinity; all the humongous trees looming above, creating archways over the dust paths; the pretty birds, singing their melodious songs, decorating the air with a subtle pleasantness.

A soft sigh escaped her thin lips as she neared a clearing. The unending lines of trees fanned out to reveal a large, grassed ground. Pink and purple poppies tittered along the length of the ground, sparkling under the bright noon sun. A bed of white carnations bloomed on the other side, starkly contrasting against the yellow ones that were barely hidden by the young rose bushes beside.

Carefully pressing out all the creases in her kimono, she plopped to the ground, under one of the huge trees.

'A little nap wouldn't hurt much.' She giggled, curling up against the trunk. She could allow herself a little nap, it would not be very long and she could return to the orphanage before the sun sunk lower into the sky. And even if she did not make it in time, the Elder would not be very cross with her for being just a few moments late for lunch. With that reassurance in her mind, she closed her eyes and submitted to a sweet slumber.

"What are you doing here?"

Hikaru shot up from her small nap almost at the speed of light, her eyes snapped open at the gruff voice. Her heart raced in her chest, almost making her feel as if she went through a cardiac arrest. Her hands immediately turned sweaty and sticky from the sudden fear that had sabotaged her and was still running down her shivering body.

But she was quick to regain her composure (thanks to all the pranks she had gone trough at the orphanage, she had quite learned how to get her calm back after a startling event.)

After recovering from the semi-heart attack, she finally, actually observed the man, or more appropriately, boy standing before her, the owner of the scary voice.

His dark green hair stood up on their ends, much like the mane of the humongous beast that stood behind him. His eyes were blue, the deepest and the most intense blue Hikaru had ever laid her eyes on. His skin, flawless and smooth, was a soft brown in colour, it sparkled ever so lightly under the sun. He had donned a black Hakama and a pair of worn out wooden slippers, his chest covered in a green jacket, was carefully buttoned at his chest.

It did not even take a second for Hikaru to recognise that familiar face.

"You're the one who summoned a Lion!" She found her self shout in excitement, her hands clasping together as she took a quick peek behind the tall boy, "and that's your Summon!" She pointed out.

"Hn. I know that." The boy crisped, briefly throwing his head over his shoulders to acknowledge the beast's presence.

"You're so amazing! Your name is Kyouya isn't it?" Hikaru drawled on giddily, getting up to her feet to greet the new Syoukanshi. She quickly struck out her grassy hand for the older boy to shake.

Kyouya just looked away, possibly to hide the soft brush of pink on his cheeks, "yeah yeah." He - _very reluctantly, mind you_ \- shook her back and quickly pulled away, not wanting to prolong the physical contact.

"So what are you doing here?" She asked, craning her head to the side to catch a glimpse of his face.

"I could ask you the same." He turned his head to the face the girl, raising an eyebrow at the weird angle her head was cocked to. This girl sure was weird.

As if in agreement to his companion, the large lion growled softly. Its paws frequently leaving the ground in impatience and maybe even warning.

Hikaru smiled, the biggest smile she could possibly muster up, at the beast and waved her hand at it, deeming it rude to not greet Kyouya's companion even though it was a beast. She had always been taught to show respect to even non-living objects; was always told that if she had to be something, she should be _kind_ and _respectful_.

"What did you name him, Tategami-San?" She asked, her hand still cupped in his, but she did not look like she minded. Let alone mind, she did not even look like she knew it had been there for quite a while.

"Fang Leone." He muttered coldly, roughly pulling his hand away from the younger girl's. Not only was this girl weird, but was apparently a creep as well. He would have to remember not crossing paths with her again.

He would not lie, he had seen the girl around in the village and had heard about her from one of the village Elders. And truth to be told, the Elder did not have much good to say about her. She was not good at anything, let alone healing magic- the Elder had told him, sighing with such exasperation that Kyouya almost thought that the girl was their child. He was also told, in a passively furious voice, that she could not even cook or do her laundry and how it would be hard to find her a suitor for her when she came of age. Kyouya could not have cared about the girl less, he was just caught up with a heavily intoxicated Elder, whom only he knew how he had slipped off of.

And now, he had to slip off of this girl.

"You should not be here at this time." Kyouya continued, looking up at the dark orange sky. It was almost dusk, what was this girl doing here out alone anyway, "it's getting late and this can be a very dangerous place to be at night." He wanted her out of there, after all, he would not train with Leone in front of a complete stranger.

Hikaru immediately looked up at the sky, her mind automatically truncating what he had spoken after the 'getting late part.'

The sun was dipped deep down the sky, its golden hue barely visible between the thick cover of trees. It was way past lunch time now.

And _sweet honey almonds_! She was super _late_! The orphanage Elder would murder her for it!

"Oh no!" She groaned, quickly gathering herself up for what would be a super fast sprint to the old building of her orphanage, "it's so late! Oh no! What am I going to do? What am I going to do?"

Kyouya just observed the peculiar girl in silence. She was still fretting around rather than leaving. She surely did not know her each passing second could cost her the night's dinner at the Orphanage. Or could land her in toilet cleaning duty for more than a month. Kyouya knew all about Orphanage punishments, after all he had been in one before being adopted into a decent family.

He just sighed and turned away, "Let's just go train somewhere else Leone." He whispered and turned back around to the clearance.

He expected the heavy paw-falls of his beastly companion to follow, but all he got was the sound of his own feet. Leone was not obeying him. Again.

Since he had summoned the Cat beast, life had become a lot tougher. The beast refused to comply with almost anything the boy asked him to do. He often would even refuse to follow him and would just plop down on the ground and start licking his fur. Training him was even tougher for he did not follow any command that his master supplied him, rather he just went about doing what he felt like, which was mostly just fur-licking.

Even earlier today he had managed to embarrass Kyouya.

Kyouya was scheduled to show the Head Elder a few of his beasts' tricks. Kyouya had readily agreed, wanting to show his abilities off, maybe boast a little so that the Elder would get impressed enough to give him the permission to leave the village. However, Leone had thought _different_.

When the time came for the performance, Leone just fell to the ground and stayed there, unmoving and unresponsive to all the commands Kyouya so desperately shouted at him. After what seemed like the umpteenth time, the Elders asked him to politely give up and come back against after a few more months. It was so embarrassing for him! Not only did the whole fiasco made him lose a little of his respect but it also made the Elders laugh and the other watchers snicker at his failure.

Oh, Kyouya had been so _enraged_ then.

From thence, he decided that he would practice harder and harder until Leone acknowledged him as his master. He would try to be a tad bit more patient with the beast.

But that did not mean he would not shout at him. If he got angry.

Kyouya whipped around, his writs clenched in anger. He had had enough of the beasts shenanigans for one day, and he would not allow any more. He opened his mouth to voice a few obscenities but closed it effectively when he saw his beast being pet by the blue haired girl.

 _Pet?!_

Leone had sprawled out on the dirt, his head resting on his paws and his beautiful emerald eyes closed. A brown hand was running through his mane, stroking his fur so lightly and with such experience that it made the boy gape in surprise.

"Who's the good boy? Yeah, you are! C'mon, now it's time for your tummy!" Hikaru giggled at the soft swishes of the huge beast's tail as he rolled around and onto his back, letting her a view of his bare underside. She immediately began stroking the fur on his mantle, smiling softly at his gently purrs. He looked so contended and so much at ease.

"Hey!" Kyouya growled, "stop doing that to him!" He was genuinely shocked and also a little annoyed by the fact that she was able to sate the beast better than he was. She even got him to listen to what she had to say! It was completely and utterly _preposterous_!

Hikaru looked over at the indignant boy and tilted her head, " do what? I'm just petting him." _Even the Lion_ shot him a dirty look.

Kyouya growled under his breath, "shouldn't you be at the Orphanage now?" There would be no gain in arguing with that doofus, he conjured.

Hikaru straightened up, as if a bolt of lighting had hit her straight on the cranium.

"On no! Thanks for reminding me, Tategami-San!" She bowed briefly and turned to look at the disappointed lion, "I have to go now, but I'll see you soon Leone-kun! Till then, bye!" She waved at both of them and took off in the opposite direction, deep into the forest.

Kyouya blinked. She was extremely fast when she wanted to be.

"Lets go now." Kyouya sighed, feeling utterly drained by something he could not well place. But he knew he did not want to train anymore, he just wanted to crash into his futon and sleep, "let's go home." He spoke again, sparing a glance over his shoulders.

The lion whimpered at his master's declaration, rolling back onto his stomach. He wanted to go back to the girl!

"Yeah she's gone. Now let's go."

The lion stood up, lethargy reflecting in his every move.

"She is not gonna come back."

 _Oh, if he only knew how wrong he was_.

* * *

 _2 years later._

Hikaru lazily blew at her aquamarine bangs, making them furl up in the air. The rest of her thick locks were sprawled against the white sheets of her lower bunk. The moonlight from the window bounced off her sparkling hair, the gleam of which was only drowned out by the heavy downpour outside.

She saw people scramble along; broken, sodden selling carts were being hastily dragged across the wet and slushy paths of the village; women, covering their heads with little umbrellas -which failed to provide any sort of protection from the water- were stuttering down the road, their little children trailing behind like obedient ducklings.

A bright flash of thunder briefly illuminated the sky.

"Guess this won't stop this easy." Hikaru muttered to herself, her fingers seizing to curl the few strands of her hair around. She shifted to her side, snuggling inside the thick woollen blanket and continuing her observations. The warmth from the blanket washed over her tired, tepid body, making her moan softly in delight.

The blanket was a pure blessing in the harsh winters of Nekmura, but it was not so much of a frequent comfort for the other girls around. The others were mostly given scanty sheets to cower from the cold winters. Hikaru had only been given the blanket because of the blazing fever that had her in its grip at the moment.

Even though the healers could heal everything they came across, they rather did leave people to heal on their own, not wanting their immune systems to be completely dependent on healing magic. After all, not everybody could wield that kind of magic.

Hence, Hikaru had just been given a bubbling concoction to drink - _which tasted grotesque, by the way_. Hikaru had even given consideration to the possibility that it may have had been made out of animal entrails- and been told to rest for the remaining day, she was also assured of the fact that in the next three suns, her fever would be completely cured.

And that was why Hikaru was cooped up in her dorm while the other girls were out on their annual trip to District 3. Hikaru had not wanted to go either, to be frank. Kawasaki, or District 3, was famous for all the rivers it had. Don't get her wrong, it was not like she did not like water; in fact she loved water! It was just that she had been to District 3 too many a times to be interested in a revisit with her health at stake.

More rain poured down the sky, heavy and cruel, it beat against the ground and the wooden roof of the orphanage with a soft sound that almost lulled the blue haired woman to sleep.

She would have fallen asleep if it were not for the sudden pop outside her window.

Hikaru had nearly jumped out of her feverish skin at the sight of her friend - _or acquaintance, she did not know what to call him yet_ \- at her dorm window.

"Kyouya-San!" Hikaru's face flushed a deep, heavy shade of crimson at the sight of the drenched man.

Water dripped down his wilting hair, little drops of the clear liquid trailed down his well toned body. He had changed a lot in the past two years. He had grown - _so had she, but she refused to acknowledge it_ \- into a fine person. His hair were as green as they were before, slightly unkempt and a little fuller now. His eyes were as blue as they used to be, only his skin had acquired a riddle of scars, perhaps from the claws of his Summon - _who still had not come to trust him_ -.

He had retained most of his clothing style through the couple of years, the only major change being a tattered undershirt that he often donned along with his green jacket.

"Help." He spoke. His voice so _little_ ; so _weak_.

Hikaru quickly propped up her heavy body against the bed, looking at the young man with concern.

"Leone…he's hurt…" he sounded so out of breath, his voice muffled even more from the heavy rain.

Hikaru squinted, her feet quickly finding the floor as she attempted to stand up. His deep blue eyes were the only prominent thing she could make out of his figure, and they were not shining as they usually did. They looked _tired_ ; _hurt_ ; _weak_ and maybe even…

 _Broken?_

"Please…" his weak voice begged, a heavy hand resting on the grills of her open window.

"he… _we_ need _help_ …"

Hikaru had to hear no more to shoot up from her bed and dash out in the harsh rain to help.

She could not turn him down. Even if it meant for her getting her sickness to worsen.

 _She would help him._


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/n:_** _I originally did intend for the chapter to be longer...but I got lazy, haha. Would you guys like for the chapters to be longer though? Please let me know. And would you like for me to hold polls for major story decisions? Ones that would not affect the plot too much that is. You know, maybe a poll on what training Hikaru should go through or wether Kyouya should get a collar for Leone or not? I'd love to hear your preferences, so please do let me know._

 _I apologise if the chapter was not up to the mark this time, my brother actually busted our laptop so, yeah. I'm using the tablet to do stuff right now. Hopefully, it gets fixed soon! Anyhoo, let me know how you liked it! Cuz I'd love that!_

 _And yeah, if I did not mention this earlier, this fic is gonna be a slow burn (meaning Kyouya and Hikaru won't get together until pretty later.) and may even have some_ **mild **_dub-con (dubious consent that is, for those who are unaware. I'll put a warning beforehand for that)._

 _Also, this story is more like an AU folktale of how beyblades came to be. Other than that, enjoy, review, favourite and follow._

* * *

 _ **Of Sickness and Health**_

Her feet, hot with sickness, sunk deep into the slushy ground as she plodded through, struggling to catch up to the impatient man waddling in front. The moonlight, like a distant pleasure, filtered scantily through the heavy foliage of the Inner Forest, barely lighting the duo's path.

Her lids felt heavy, weighing down on her tired eyes like a hundred tonnes. She had so desperately wanted to lie down on the wet, sodden grass; to let the chill of the winter rain soak her tepid ailing body. Even her stomach flipped every time she picked her feet up to take another tiresome step in the slush, threatening to spill all its contents out if she did not stop.

A soft moan of pain left her quivering, dripping lips as her soaked palm rushed to her bleeding arm. Slowly, and lethargically, she let her orbs wander to the crimson that trickled down her arms along with drops of cold, frigid water that cascaded down the leaden sky. A alarmingly huge gash ran along the lengths of her scrawny arm, seeping a soft trail of blood down her grey kimono. She had scratched herself against one of the innocuously jutting out swig, perhaps. She could heal it, but she chose not to. She could not expend her mana, or Magical energy, on patching up her wound, she had to save it for the Lion Summon and his owner. At this point, she could only wish she had not scrapped herself against a poisonous bush, or worse—the Manchineel tree. If it were that unostentatiously deceptive tree, she would be done for in a few minutes.

Before she could let her mind - _razed with the heat of her sickness_ \- wander further into analysing the different ways she could meet her death, Kyouya caught her attention by a rough, genuine cough.

Hikaru immediately looked up ahead, her half lidded eyes making it extremely difficult for her to retain her focus, and saw the dark void that was probably the entrance to - _or what seemed like_ \- a wild cavern. On squinting, she even noticed the ghost of a small spruce-coloured flame, sizzling softly on some logs of dark oak wood.

"He's…inside." He spoke. His voice hushed to a whisper as soft as the morning breeze, cautious and tender, as if he were trying to hide what was broken; trying to conceal what was hurt.

Hikaru nodded, no words forming on her quivering lips. Her hand gingerly took ahold of his, cupping his calloused skin in her fresh one. With a gentle tug, she pulled him inside the small cavern. And he complied submissively, his head hanging in supposed shame.

Hikaru let her fizzing magic expand; analogous to a sea of liquid stardust, it settled on the pair. Little bursts of sparkles erupted around them, like the fireworks that shot through the dark skies on festivals. The dome of blue magic glimmered under the soft green fire that lit the ashen wood ablaze, shrouding them in a teal as pliable as the the clouds that oftened the sky.

Kyouya almost gasped as the sudden warmth that filled him once the magic descended over them. Every nook, every corner of his body felt touched; touched by a purity so winsome that it made his soul ache and weep in delight. The warmth of her magic coursed down his veins; pulsating and lively, it washed against him with such tenderness, making his heart quench in pain. He felt his sins trickle down his back like thin rivulets, soaking the ground beneath him in a dirty burgundy.

For that one moment he felt as if god's own light shone on him; dazzling and vivid, it purged his soul of all evil he had ever committed. It felt as if his soul was being torn apart by a force so pious, that it ignited all the ill-will it made the slightest of brushes with.

Maybe this was his purgatory; his _repentance_.

His hands shook, body shivered and his vision blurred as the magic grew in intensity, jolting though his veins like monstrous thunderbolt. And he felt as if a tempest raged inside him; angered and tyrannous it shook him to his very core. His wounds burned; they blazed as the muscles healed themselves, stitching back to the other ends of the ruptured tissue, leaving not a shade of pain behind, just a vibrant bath of blue hues.

The former affliction now had phased down into a softer warmth. An indication of the completion of the mending of his internal wounds, the only wounds that would cause him to be in grave danger. All his inner wounds had been successfully patched up.

As soon as he felt the stinging of the magic subside, he pushed her away with a little more force than was actually required. With his still workable hand, he pointed at the mewling beat that lay slumped against the cave wall.

"B-But..." her teeth, chattering from the cold rendered her speech a mess of stutters, "you-u aren't h-healed c-completely...your wounds inside..."

Kyouya shook his head, his other arms wrapping around his midriff to contain the small grunt of pain that the stab wound on his stomach elicited, "He...needs...help more than I..."

Hikaru looked at him incredulously, her eyes wide and lips parted in surprise. She knew if she left him in the state that he was currently in, there was a good chance his wounds could break out into a nasty infection. She was not high on mana but she did want to heal him properly and completely.

"Please..." he started. His deep blue eyes pleaded for kindness, "... _save_ _him_."

Hikaru's past apprehensions died down, a feeling of understanding washed over her. She knew if any one of them died, the other would too. But the care that the green haired Summoner displayed deeply warmed her soul. He really cared about his companion.

She nodded her head almost instantly at his quiet demand and rushed to the companion in pain. Despite the raging temperatures her skin was touching, she plopped down beside the beast and par her mana soak though to hit hurt body.

The blue, glittering glow covered the couple as Hikaru let her healing magic do its wonders. The magic fizzled softly, making the Lion's fur stand up on its ends in genesis of the static energy generated. She pressed her burning feet against the beasts' paws and stilled, concentrating all her mana into him.

The healing stretched easily into the wee hours of the day.

As the sun broke out of the horizon, its dazzling glow making the wet leaves sparkle in joy, Kyouya stirred awake from his uncomfortable sleep against the sharp cave rocks.

After a brief moment of popping his knuckles, he got up to his feet, his eyes immediately scaling the lengths of the cavern for his companion; for his _solace_. His eyes, however, did not need to search for long for the Lion Summon slept curled up against the wall.

Its soft fur ruffled against the body of the sleeping - _or unconscious_ \- blue haired woman's body. His tousled mane fell along his maw, tucked listlessly under the arm of the woman. His massive torso was curled inwards, sheathing the woman in the warmth that radiated off his body. Even his tail was lackadaisically wrapped, completing the irregular circle made by his now fully healed soma.

With a swift flick of his wrist, Kyouya extinguished the magical fire that was no longer need to light up the cave. He shuffled up to his companion noisily, hoping to wake the sleeping woman up without much effort on his part. But she lay still, her mouth agape and leaking of drool, her chest heaving up in down in soft inhales and exhales and her hands clasped snugly to her tilted lap.

Kyouya let out a sigh, his hands finding his temples, rubbing around in calming circles. The sudden gyrating headache making the task of rousing the sleeping woman without snapping an insurmountable one.

She was getting her filthy saliva all over his companion's shiny -a state which Kyouya had a really hard time achieving- pelt!

Furnishing the limp body of a sleeping Hikaru a mindless kick ( _which Kyouya would have argued about being a tender nudge_ ), he groaned.

"Oi, Blue. Wake up."

 _No response_.

"Blue."

 _None_.

"Blue."

 _Nothing_.

"Wake up you idiot."

 _Nil_.

"Blue."

 _Nought_.

"Blue..."

 _Nowt_.

"Blue?"

Kyouya had crouched down on his good knee, his coarse palm pressed against her tender yet hot skin roughly. The heat emanating from her skin did not even take a moment to register in the older man's head as a fever.

Kyouya clicked his tongue against his teeth, muttering under his breath as he moved to wake the sleeping beast. He could not have her dying on him.

She had helped him, after all. He was in debt to her.

Kyouya was pretty close to what people would call one broke. He had lost a myriad of battles and fights by now, losing a lot of currency in the process. He had not the money to take Hikaru to a hospital; stars, he did not even have money to treat himself or Leone!

He had pegged all his current problem on that opponent, Gingka Hagane - _Kyouya made a point to remember that dumbhead's name_ -, who had taken quite a hit on Kyouya and Leone with his legendary beast Pegasus. And his benevolence was no better when he elected to offer mercy to the former duo, the annoying smile plastered on his bugging visage like he had freaking won the battle ( _he had, of course, for he had left completely unharmed. But Kyouya would claim no fact to that_.). The whole encounter had left an ugly stain on Kyouya's jagged ego.

After that horrifyingly embarrassing match, the green haired man had challenged a group of Summoner crooks -all of them- to an 'all or nothing' monetary battle. As expected, the crooks played dirty and successfully left a brutally beat up Kyouya, a gravely injured beast and a completely empty pocket.

Kyouya, with his unwavering pride still intact, sought help in the only one place where he could without paying anything—be it money or his pride. And that is how he ended showing up on the blue haired healer's window.

"Leone." Kyouya commanded his now awake companion, "we have to take her to the home with us." There was nothing else he could do to help her.

The drowsy Lion nodded, his large maw tightening as he saw his master carefully slip the woman on his back.

"I know. It's a bother. But it's the least we can do for her." Kyouya muttered softly, being a tad bit more careful of the woman under the influence of his levitation magic.

Kyouya dismissed the sparkling green magic that had wrapped around the woman and turned to face the bright mouth of the cavern.

The orange dawn sky glittered in glee. Tender gusts of breeze gingerly kissed the leaves, making them moan in happiness. The birds sang their lovely songs; decorating the stillness of the morning as if to welcome the gods. Flowers bloomed, their fragrances vibrant in the air as squirrels scaled the ground, scurrying around to obtain the fresh spoils that the rain had brought. Bees hummed in a sweet rhythm, their saccharine sounds only mixed with the buzzes of other critters. And dew-drops on the tiny blades of grass danced amicably under the rays of the vibrant star. It was as if the goddess of life had breathed into the day, making every thing flourish with joy.

The lion sighed softly, the winds caressed his lustrous mane as he stepped outside crippling darkness of the cavern. It was truly a beautiful day.

After the most _tremulous_ ; the most _deadly_ of nights, had come the dawn; so _bright_ ; so _young_.

Kyouya felt a small smile tug at his lips.

 _Their darkest hour was over._

 _Only their dawn lay ahead_.


	3. Chapter 3

_**An Eye for an Eye**_

 _Hikaru gingerly bundled up all her laundry into the spare white cloth that was usually used as a substitute for dirty bed sheets or a double layer of covering on chilly nights. Most girls from the orphanage usually refused to neighbor their dirty clothes with the sheets they so royally sprawled on, not. They would rather carry all their kimonos –soiled from cookery lessons, sewing classes and kami knows what other shticks– over their weak little shoulders through the whole of the town. The kimonos, obviously weighing quite some for those airheaded flimsy women, were dropped to the ground way too often for what would classify as an error and way too uncannily in front of the young men of the village._

 _Hikaru shook her head, shoeing away all the horrible thoughts lest they take her back to last night's conversation. The said event was nothing more than a syrupy mess of love confessions and boys; more confessions and more boys; even more confessions and even more of those damned boys, the dorm girls had decided to indulge in._

 _That was one night Hikaru learnt the utter importance of her stone-stiff pillow. It was truly a blessing from the holy Neko Kami-Sama._

 _A shudder ran up her spine as she ambled towards the public laundry of Nekmura, her big bundle of grubby clothes hauled up in her arms in a clean, manageable ball. She could have had her clothes been taken by the dorm maid, but it would have gone against her principles. The sickly old maid was already so mentally brutalized by the other sassy girls of the dorm that Hikaru could not find it in herself to bother her with something as petty as her laundry. Especially so when she was seventeen years old and was expected to carry out all her personal tasks on her own._

" _Hey blueberry~!" Hikaru winced inwardly at the oh-so-familiar voice. She curled in on her standing self, attempting so desperately to hide behind the big ball of unclean garments._

" _Don't hide, my darling~!" The tall girl strutted towards the shorter one, her chest sticking out in a way that could easily be classed as lewd or desperate. Her shiny red locks bounced behind her, lapping against her swaying hips._

" _Hey, Mimiko." Hikaru sighed in defeat, letting the laundry ball descend low enough for her face to be visible, and also the forced smile plastered on it._

" _Guess what! Guess what!" the redhead buzzed in her high-pitched voice, making a dull migraine climb up Hikaru's forehead. 'What a bother'- she found herself subconsciously repeating the words of someone she held in great esteem. But soon feeling the guilt of thinking ill of someone crawled over her, making her delve into a moment of self-evaluation and correction._

" _Oi, halfwit." Mimiko frowned at the lack of attention, her made-up face contorting into a grotesque mess of powder and lip-stain as she bopped the younger woman on the head, successfully attracting her interest towards her._

 _And that was exactly why Hikaru so passionately disliked the redhead's overbearing presence._

" _What?" Hikaru muttered begrudgingly, refusing to lose her calm at the expense of a stupid bimbo (the shame threatened to return at the description.) as she frowned. Her niceness was now careening dangerously close to the borders of impoliteness. But no matter how much she wanted to leave, she was compelled to stay; stay put; stay nice and stay kind._

" _I talked to Gingka-kun and Kyouya-kun today! And they, like, totally flirted with! Like totally! I'm so sure that they, like, like me. Totally!" Mimiko giggled, her hand pressed against her mouth in the most artificial way physically possible._

 _Kyouya? Flirt? What?_

 _A soft pang of jealousy stung her soul, making it ripple painfully under the not-so foreign feeling. It nipped at her judgment, making her susceptible to all what the redhead may spew. Usually her ruling was not so clouded, but the more she had started spending time with the now-famous Lion Summoner, the more she had started feeling all of those despicably vain emotions._

 _Spending time usually was watching him train or picking berries for Leone in the Inner Forest. She frequented the forest almost every day, with fruits and food – which she made at those godforsaken cookery classes- for the lion summon and his master. They did not reject her company either, instead agreed quietly to eat together in silence._

 _That was until the Kyouya entered the regional contest…and won._

 _Thence on, his visits lessened in number, leaving the solitary girl to spend most of her time eating alone in the forest. She did not mind much, she was fairly used to being alone but the lack of their presence did bug her soul, making it ache so faintly. She had no idea why, but every waking moment spent away from the green haired Summoner only left her twitchy and tense._

 _He did, still, visit a few times; even stopping a few minutes more to accept the supper Hikaru offered._

 _However, that did not last long._

 _With each duel he won; each opponent he conquered; each admirer he earned; each tuft of Arcane Potential he gained; his visits grew scarce. At first, linearly and later exponentially._

 _Hikaru did try getting in contact with him but all she got was a rude snort and a curt "I'm busy."_

" _I totally think they'll, like, totally marry me!" the redhead had not even taken a pause to breath, "like totally~!" she gushed, snapping Hikaru out of her little reminiscence._

" _Good for you." She muttered, too busy coping with the tempest of emotions that raged within her to pour any sort of sentiment into her words. Her heart clenched as she looked at the ground, her digits digging deep into the plushy ball of clothes. She could not bear hearing his name anymore; could not stand even in the immediate environs of someone talking about him._

" _Oh! My Kyouya-sama! I'm sure he loves me too."_

 _And then she felt so_ _ **sick**_ _._

 _Bile rose up her throat and her hands trembled violently as she held onto the heavy load that threatened to crash to the ground. Her soul collapsed deep into the depth of a darkness even Hikari-sama's magic could not illuminate. Her breathing, riddled with wheezes as heavy as the moisture that hung in the air reverberated through her mind, making her cough and fall to her knees._

 _It pained and hurt so much._

 _Her soul thrummed weakly as it was dragged across the negativity of the void, the hard tug on it only grew more vicious with every movement she made for stabilization. She could feel her magic leek around her in small streams, rising into the amber afternoon sky, leaving a trail of glitter behind. She closed her eyes, the pain overcoming her good sense and consuming all of her dwindling mana. Her eyes burned as she crumbled down to her calves, her hands, now freed of the freight, barely held her shivering frame up._

 _Her mind did not register any of the whispers that burst around her with such excitement; it was too busy commanding her to speak._

 _Commanding her to Summon_ _._

 _By the divine Arcane Charter_

 _And heaven's prestigious favor_

 _Her eyes hurt, they burned as if on a fire too wild to tame; her blue magic shot through the skies, wavering ever so slightly. The feeling was indescribable and immensely appalling; it suckled on her mana like a leech, retrieving even the last drop of magic her body could offer. It was vile, and it was ghastly; she was never meant to be a Summoner; never someone with such great power. All what had been written in her fate was a life full of normality, peace and just…sobriety. This sort of exhilaration was something Hikaru had rarely ever thought of, let alone aspire for; excitement scared her, it brewed the waves of insecurity in her that actively fueled her aversion from being brave; being courageous._

 _Nobody, not even her body had indicated that she would one day howl in agony for her everlasting companion. She was not even cut out for that kind of work. All she was meant to be was a healer even if she failed at it. It was her only providence._

 _She was aware of her non-existent competency in healing magic. She had been told, too many times, that she would never cut it big; that she would not even qualify as an apprentice for a child healer. It had hurt then, it had made her brawl her eyes out at nights, but she never complained. Not even once did she stand up for her abilities or defy the others by arguing or complaining - for she knew she was miserable at healing and no amount of slogging would help her up her aptitude in medical sorcery- but she still did try, she still practiced night and day to get better, but she never complained. She did not even complain when she was the only girl left in the orphanage; it was unfair, but she never spoke of it to anyone._

 _Even when people ridiculed the deepness of her colour, she listened, passive and quiet she listened. Even when they called her 'dirty mud', she listened. She listened when they teased her, she understood when they boycotted her, she left when they asked her, but she never complained. She never fell at the patio of the shrine, begging and wailing about the injustices of life, persuading the gods to alter her destiny. She accepted her fate with open arms and a tired smile, thinking that one day…one fine day things would get better. All she had to do was endure, and she would surely be rewarded with good outcomes._

 _She would have laughed at her own predicament now that it seemed such a fry cry from what she had expected the 'good outcomes' to be; all the 'rewards' she looked forward to._

 _After all those years of always being inferior, always being substandard, this was the 'reward' she was bestowed with._

 _And she laughed. She cried and she laughed as her companion ripped away her shivering soul to form one of its own. Her heart welled with sentiments too complex for her to comprehend. Was it pride? Happiness? Fear? Anger? Love? Apprehension? She was confused by the victimizing emotions that threatened her mental integrity._

 _Why did it have to be…_

 _She dared not to utter that verse._

 _So…_

 _That one word._

 _So…_

 _She was no one to question, no one to decide._

 _ **Unfair.**_

 _But she did._

 _Her eyes, soaked and stinging, curtained themselves from the bright fringes of her own magic._

 _Unfair._

 _Unfair._

 _All of it._

 _But nothing happened. Her pains did not lessen; her aches were not extinguished, only resignation and guilt floated around in her head._

 _Unfair._

 _It was unfair._

 _This was unfair._

 _No matter how petulant she felt; how unfair it all seemed, she could do nothing but suffer with her lips sewn and her conscience stiffened. These lofty feelings; these 'endearing' emotions; they were not for her, yet here she was, being blessed with them in loads._

 _And her magic was so_ _weak_ _; too weak to sustain any other life than hers. Her fragility showed as her magic, heavy and gross from the absolute immaturity, descended down upon her at a threatening velocity. The stream of magic crackled as it rapidly lost altitude, joined by the other ribbons of blue dazzle, it tore through the clouds like a bolt of lightning heading straight towards its unsuspecting victim._

 _The impact came like a dagger tearing through thick bone. Her jaw connected to the dusty ground as her own magic hit her with a force so hard that it made her eyes bulge out. Pain, like nothing she had felt before, consumed her whole form._

 _It was unfair._

 _So unfair._

 _She looked at the blue form of her premature summon stagger towards her. Its beautiful blue locks, unfinished and tattered, trailed on the dusty ground as it pushed the blue gown it adorned out of its way._

 _It was struggling to help her._

 _But before she could inch her fleshy hands towards her companion's watery ones; before she could smile at her friend, before she could feel their souls connect, her vision distorted; a surfeit of pains of different intensities assaulted her optical nerves, making her shriek out loud._

 _And everything went black…_

 _Only to never turn 'colour' again._

 _And it was so unfair._

* * *

No celebrations, only mourning followed the summoning.

Hikaru looked down at the ground as she walked through the village with stiff steps, her ears were burning with shame and her hands were interlaced with that of her water summon. Her vision, as white as fresh bleach, only did so little to distinguish the different auras of the things around her. It was a blur of colors, swirling around in beautiful patterns and darting across her mind, only aiding with the buzzing ache in her head.

"We should rest…" Hikaru mumbled wearily, her other hands desperately searching for her Summon's.

"O-Okay." Came the broken, yet so melodious, voice of her water Summon as she felt a pair of cool hands grasp hers. Even though Hikaru had never the chance to know how her summon looked, she positively believed that she would have been as beautiful as she sounded and as gentle as she was kind.

And it was a shame that so many people looked down upon her; looked down upon _them_. Their condescending glares were always laden with disgust and judgment; their voices were always harsh and cruel and their disposition was always vile towards the duo.

 _What had they ever done to receive that kind of a treatment?_

 _Why was everything…so unfair?_

People -Villagers and Elders alike- had regarded her summoning to be a premature one.

Premature summonings were more of a curse, more of a thing to mourn than to rejoice for. They were a blessing of the devils, something to be held in fear, in terror. It was not something pleasant, something the elders or even your parents would be proud of; it was a malediction- an ominous foreboding of the future. They were not meant to be a cause of happiness.

With all the other social _perquisites_ , they also usually entailed a poorly formed Summon, a weaker soul bond and prominent physical loss in the Summoner; in Hikaru's case, it were her eyes that she lost to the summoning.

The lavender of her iris had seeped away into her sclera and pupils, making her orbs seem like a garden smothered with purple poppies in different shades and hues. With the newfound colors came substitute abilities. Her eyes –devoid of normal vision- could only sense magical auras the souls let out now, but it was not useful, for all of it only seemed a harassing mess of paint on a bright canvas, which only left the blue haired girl more confused and frustrated. You will learn to distinguish them soon, my child. Stay patient, give it some time- is what her Orphan Elder had soothingly consoled her with, later even offering her some coins she could manage her _overhead_ expenses with.

Her summon, which could barely let out a few comprehendible sentences, advised her to join something that would help with the acquired money. And Hikaru did exactly as she was asked, or advised to; she joined the classes that excelled in imparting sign language and magical decoding for the inherently blind.

And even the hype of her ominous summoning had died down sooner than she had expected.

People went along with their daily chores, getting back to their normal lives. A few whispers of ill-words still laced the air, but that was not new to Hikaru. That was when the Orphanage Elder (along with a few others) approached her with the idea of joining the Summoner's Training Guild.

The aforementioned was nothing but the culmination of all the novice Summoners of a district. It was mandatory for every District to have one such guild where young Summoners were taught the ways of duel-sorcery, self-protection and bonding with their Summon. It was where most parents of Young Summoners would send their children to, in hopes of watching them become the Head of District Guard (the highest post of a District's military.) one day.

There were healing Guilds as well, somewhere only extraordinaire healers were sent. There were other guilds too, but Hikaru was not well versed with them. She had even briefly wondered if there was a Guild for Necromancers. After hours of searching and snooping around in old books, she was disappointed to find that no such Guild existed.

The Guilds majorly comprised of Instructors and Healers. It was like a school in one or more ways-a school for the blessed. It was typically housed in a lavish building, accompanied with small gardens that were easily a paragon of beauty. She had heard all about the glamour of the Guilds and, for the first time in a long while, she was actually, genuinely…excited.

Therefore, she had naturally accepted the offer when it came to her. An Invitation to the Summoner's Training Guild.

Therefore, here they were, travelling to the Guild (situated a few ways out of the village.) all on their own.

Hikaru looked at the sky; it was truly beautiful, blue and serene. She liked that. Maybe these days would not be too harsh on her. Maybe these days would be better.

The soft breeze that rifted through the jungles caressed her lids to a gentle close. She let her limp hands fall to her side and her head loll against the rough bark of the tree she lay against. A soft glimmer of hope nipped at the depression that had settled in the young lady's heart from the events that had transpired in the past.

She knew it would have been better if she had a supple mattress to stretch on, silky kimonos to wrap her form in, fresh flowers to decorate her wispy hair with, and carriage with which she could continue her journey. It would have been wonderful if she had all the luxuries that life had to offer; all the happiness it had to circulate. Nevertheless, she was content with what she had at the instant; with all the moments she spent fighting, all the times she spent trying; they were all like a treacherous path to something bigger; something _better_.

She smiled faintly at the feeling.

Everything would be all right.

"Blue? What are _**you**_ doing here?"

 _That voice…_

 _Or not._

… _Tategami-san…_

* * *

 _To_ _ **Fidget**_ _,_ _ **Face**_ _or_ _ **Façade**_ _?_

 _First poll! The voting discriptions will be provided below. You can go to my page to poll, and also, don't be shy if have any questions!_

 _Face:_ _Hikaru faces Kyouya head on. Even after all what happened was indirectly elicited by him._

 _Façade:_ _Hikaru pretends being asleep, not wanting to face him after all what happened and due to the surge of conflicting emotions inside._

 _Fidget_ _: Hikaru does what naturally comes over. (That is, either of the above options, like a surprise sort of a thing, haha)_

 ** _A/n:_** Gosh! finally done with the premises of the story! All ya all, get ready for some real story in the next chappie! We'll be inaugurating the first arc from the next chapter! And sorry if this was not up to the mark either, I write fragments of it on different days, so the story might seem a little detached. I'll try harder next time! till then, vote and leave a review if ya like!


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